Pokémon: Trainers Start as Bounty Hunters.

A burst of blue light gradually converged from the entire body of the Serpent Lord to a single point.

End of Chapter 294

"This is... the tail of a water flow?"

The commentator's somewhat uncertain voice echoed in the air above the main arena.

Serperior does indeed possess some skills that can only be used with its tail, but Water Tail should not be among them, otherwise it wouldn't be so powerless against Fire-type Pokémon that have a type advantage over it.

Because of the commotion caused by Houndoom, the commentators were unable to accurately capture Tetsuya's instructions and could only make reasonable inferences based on appearances.

Some of the audience members were also confused.

But no matter how much the off-stage chatter went on, the two players and the two sprites on the field remained completely focused.

Shinagawa Seiji quickly made the change.

"Let's do it too, shadow clones!"

Regardless of the specific skill, the energy fluctuations indicate it's a Water-type, which Houndoom should naturally avoid if possible.

Houndoom, which was frantically chasing and biting the stationary Serpent, immediately stopped its attack.

The flames gradually dissipated from its outer teeth.

Without making any significant movements, seven or eight Black Lugi appeared on the field in a manner similar to that of the previous Monarch Serpent.

For a moment, the battle between the two elves seemed to turn into a group battle of their kind.

Aside from their respective trainers, probably no one knows which of the two Pokémon is actually the original.

"If it's about the grace of nature, what about the water-based effects caused by carrying tree fruits?"

The experienced Shinagawa Seiji quickly figured out Tetsuya's instructions.

It's simply that Tetsuya temporarily changed the Pokémon's held item, but it's unclear which of the four corresponding berries it was.

However, it doesn't matter much, because the four types of berries that can all produce water-type effects have little difference in their impact on the power of moves, and there is no type bonus, so it is still within the acceptable range for Houndoom.

"It's far from enough to be a natural blessing from the water system," Shinagawa Seiji said, adjusting his glasses with some disappointment.

The damage and type of Nature's Grace depend on the berries the Pokémon is holding, but the berries disappear after use.

Although the berries consumed by Nature's Grace are actively consumed, unlike passive berry-consuming moves such as Insect Bite, it can be repeatedly consumed and recycled. However, Serperior cannot learn the Recycle skill.

In other words, Serpentis is not capable of casting the exact same Nature's Grace twice in this match.

For two sides of similar strength, even if they were to take a hit from a move that was type-advantageous, they would not lose their ability to fight immediately, especially since Houndoom has now taken evasive action.

Shinagawa Seiji felt it was better to keep the habit of carrying Miracle Seed, since the power boost from STAB moves would be more noticeable.

Under the watchful eyes of both sides, Serperior, having condensed its water-type energy, quickly swung its tail at all the Houndooms.

A series of sounds of shattering illusions rang out, and the entire arena was filled with bright silver fragments.

Before long, only the two spirits remained on the field.

"Snapped"

Serperior's tail lashed out at Houndoom's face, causing Houndoom to involuntarily take a step back.

Unfortunately, after the lengthy process of eliminating the shadow clones, the remaining water-type energy on Serperior's tail was almost gone, so Houndoom's injuries were not particularly severe.

The pain only fueled Houndoom's fury and rage.

"Heave-ho!"

Houndoom bared its teeth and let out a heavy, panting sound.

"Houndoom, charge up and use Bite to bite it."

Shinagawa Seiji's command always arrives at just the right time.

Houndoom, having just made its attack preparation move, immediately pushed off the ground with its hind legs and charged towards Serperior.

"One more time, Nature's Grace," Tetsuya commanded calmly.

"what?"

Shinagawa Seiji's pupils contracted in disbelief; this was illogical and yet predictable.

At this point, Tetsuya certainly wouldn't answer his questions.

The blue light that had been gathering from the entire body reappeared at the tail of the Serpent Lord.

“Bite it down, then use Flame Fang.”

As the two sides drew closer, Shinagawa Seiji persisted, despite his opponent's unexpected actions.

There are bound to be limits to the release of skills. The Grass-type Serperior's frequent use of Water-type moves by defying the norm due to the grace of nature will certainly have both advantages and disadvantages.

If Tetsuya had known that Shinagawa Seiji's reaction would be so quick in that instant, he would have been astonished.

That's true. Logically speaking, the use of Nature's Grace requires the use of tree fruits carried by elves, and only in this way can Nature's Grace unleash its full power.

However, Tetsuya and Serpent Lord took an unconventional approach.

During a training session that happened quite by chance, Tetsuya discovered through Zero that Serperior could store a portion of water-based energy within its body.

This makes perfect sense, as water is a fundamental element for plants, and plant-like sprites are no exception.

With the combined efforts of humans and elves (mainly through external assistance), Serperior quickly mastered the ability to use Nature's Grace with specific attributes without carrying specific berries.

Of course, this ability also has its drawbacks. One is that the preparation before the match is very troublesome, because energy storage cannot be created out of thin air. In order to use skills with specific attributes, Serperior must store energy in advance before the match.

It's already quite remarkable that Grass-type Pokémon can contain Water-type energy of a similar nature. If it were another type or something more diverse, this would be impossible.

This requires trainers to have a clear command and battle strategy.

Another point is that stored energy is a source without roots. Although it can be used multiple times, its power will decrease exponentially with each use.

Tetsuya calculated that, based on normal storage levels, the damage and splashes would be roughly the same after three times.

In other words, two hits are about the limit, and the power of the second hit will be significantly reduced.

However, for Houndoom, taking a direct hit is also unacceptable.

Consider this second blow a return gift to you.

Tetsuya looked at Shinagawa Seiji provocatively, and Shinagawa Seiji responded by adjusting his glasses.

Houndoom, which kept getting closer to its opponent on the field, didn't have so many thoughts. It only had one goal: to bite its opponent and then unleash its flames.

Facing the tail lashed out by Serperior, brimming with blue, watery energy, Houndoom showed no fear of its most feared type.

It opened its gaping maw in horror and bit down hard on the monarch snake's tail, avoiding the water flow, of course.

Both Serperior and Houndoom let out painful whimpers.

Serperior's tail struck Houndoom's body, and Houndoom bit down hard on Serperior's tail.

It wasn't over yet. Flames suddenly erupted from Houndoom's outer fangs and burned Serperior's body; this was the Fire Fang.

"Chirp—"

This time, Serperior's painful howl overshadowed Houndoom's roar.

However, this is not good news for it and Tetsuya.

"Snapped"

Serperior, enduring the pain, swung its tail, sending Houndoom flying.

Having reached the air, Houndoom had no choice but to release its mouth, and landed on the ground after a backflip.

Its slightly trembling limbs indicated that it was in rather poor condition.

Having taken four attacks, including two Water-type moves that were super effective against it, Houndoom had reached its stamina limit.

Otherwise, it wouldn't have so easily let go of its bite on its enemy, given its naturally ferocious nature.

The Monarch Serpent wasn't much better off.

The base of its tail was charred black, and wisps of white smoke kept rising from above the wound.

The most unbearable thing is that Houndoom is filled with painful flames, and as time goes by, these wounds not only do not show any signs of improvement, but become even more painful.

The only saving grace is that Serperior suffered far less damage than Houndoom, and retained far more stamina.

Thanks to the special grace of nature, which played a crucial role, otherwise, achieving this situation under unfavorable attributes would have been extremely difficult.

"Magic Leaf." Tetsuya pressed his advantage.

Since Serperior didn't specifically carry berries because of nature's bounty, the item it carries must be a Miracle Seed that can enhance the power of Grass-type moves.

In this situation, even a Grass-type move that is resisted can become the final straw that breaks Houndoom's back.

The blue-purple leaves swirled in the air as they attacked Houndoom.

"Scream!"

Faced with the incoming magic leaf, Shinagawa Seiji directly commanded Houndoom to launch a counterattack.

The incessant howls, like those of wolves and dogs, rang out against the Serpent Lord, so irritating that it made one want to bang their head against a wall.

"At worst, it's just a matter of who falls first," said Shinagawa Seiji, who has both strength and numbers as advantages, indicating that he doesn't care at all.

Moreover, this kind of mindless fighting has almost nothing to do with the trainer's command, and it can also effectively conceal his strength.

It has to be said that Houndoom is still very strong.

Despite having already expended so much energy, Houndoom still managed to withstand three Magic Leaf attacks before losing its ability to fight.

"Houndoom is unable to battle, Serperior wins. Please send out your next Pokémon, Shizushi Shinagawa."

The referee promptly raised his flag and announced the result.

Except for its still bright eyes, the Monarch Serpent, covered in wounds, was panting heavily.

We won, at least, though it was a tough victory.

Unfortunately, this small victory did not help the overall match much.

"It's yours now, Rapidash." Shinagawa Seiji, having recalled Houndoom, immediately unleashed his fifth Pokémon without a moment's pause.

"Flame jet".

He didn't give Tetsuya any chance to turn the tide, immediately unleashing a powerful fire-type skill.

A surging pillar of fire shot out from the mouth of the Rapidash, instantly traversing the entire distance of the arena and arriving in front of Serperior.

The next moment, the green body of the Monarch Serpent was engulfed in red flames; it no longer had the strength to dodge such a fast attack.

Once the flames subsided, the Serpent Lord, unable to fight, collapsed to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the outcome was decided once again.

"Serena is unable to battle, Rapidash wins. Please send out your next Pokémon, Tetsuya Tamaki."

The referee immediately raised the flag in his other hand.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly enough, otherwise he wouldn't have had time to put down the flag in his other hand.

Tetsuya silently took out Serperior's Luxury Ball and put it back. He had shown some mercy to Rapidash, at least Serperior's injuries did not worsen too much, but just barely reached the point where it could no longer fight.

This can be considered an unspoken friendship among trainers.

"Pokegis, I choose you." Tetsuya threw out a deluxe ball.

The remaining choice is between Ampharos and Togekiss. It goes without saying which one is better against Rapidash, and Togekiss, with its aerial advantage, is undoubtedly the best choice for the battle.

Tetsuya had a helpless smile on his lips.

That's what they say, but given the difference in strength, Sky's advantage isn't as significant as one might imagine; it's more accurate to say that Sky won't be instantly defeated.

Moreover, they were facing the Flaming Horse, which was known for its speed, endurance, and ability to run long distances.

This is likely to be a relatively protracted battle.

Tetsuya had already imagined this before the official battle even began.

As he predicted, Tokiss's long-range attacks, despite its aerial advantage, were not very effective.

Once the distance is a little greater, the Flaming Horse can easily dodge with its speed and reflexes, leaving no room for the Cowardly Air Slash to be used.

Once they got close, Rapidash's burst of power was no joke. After nearly being kicked by Rapidash's iron hooves during his first attempt to get close, Zhe gave up on the idea of ​​letting Togekiss fight at close range.